Apart from some excellent speakers on Sunday morning the highlight today was the declaration of the Rotary Peace Park in Leeton. We would like to thank all the members of Leeton and Leeton Central Rotary Clubs for the organisation of what was a memorable conference, well done Leeton and DG Greg Brown with Lyn Brown. I simply do not have much time to write the conference up here and I hope the photos portray the event.
This was another highlight of the conference in Leeton. The decorations and food were first class and many of the delegates dressed for the occasion. The photos do not do the night justice as there was a very good band to help the night along.
We had an excellent day on Saturday with some very good speakers including the Hon. Tim Fischer AC of Boree Creek and our past Deputy Prime Minister. Kim Saville from the School of St. Jude’s was a highlight for me personally. One of the bravest women that I have heard speak was Major Matina Jewell, on Caught in the Crossfire.
Great start to our DISCON here are some photos:
Some photos of Ray Foley when he was at Coolamon Rotary.
President’s report
We’ve had a couple of weeks of meetings featuring presentations by former members who have hit the road in very different directions and shared their interesting travel stories with us. Last week, Max Chapman, accompanied by wife and travel companion Sue, described their recent canal tour of the Rhine river through Germany, Austria, and Budapest. Although not actually a shoestring adventure, Max and Sue clearly had a great time seeing the sights on and along the river, and enthusiastically recommended the trip to anyone interested in seeing historic and scenic sights along the gorgeous Rhine River. One of the major advantages of this type of travel is that there was no need to pack and unpack their luggage as they went along; they stayed in the same room (on the ship) for the duration of the voyage along the river. The ship stopped frequently as they progressed down the river, so there was ample opportunity to get a close-up look at many of the interesting sights along the way.
Ray Foley’s presentation at this week’s meeting described a very different way to travel. As you likely recall, Ray and Maria hit the road about 18 months ago, and have been touring Australia by caravan and 4-wheel drive vehicle. Ray described and illustrated with great photos the first leg of their journey, which took them through Mildura, Lake Eyre, and northward up the middle to Uluru. Along the way, Ray and Maria have spent lots of time getting to know the history and geography of the places they’ve visited rather than just passing through and ticking off another location on their list. As a result, they’ve discovered that there’s a lot to see and explore in locations that most people just experience as another postcard stop. An interesting dimension to Ray and Maria’s tour of Australia is that when they find someplace they want to explore more extensively, they get temporary work in the area and tour at their leisure, basing themselves in caravan parks or free-camping where possible. A very interesting way to get to know this great country in exquisite detail! Ray and Maria have also ventured westward through Western Australia and are planning to tour Queensland next; stay tuned for the next episode of Ray and Maria’s “Living the Dream” tour of Australia!
Next week’s board meeting may not offer much in the way of entertainment, but I hope you’re able to attend so we can carry out the more mundane but vitally important business that allows our club to continue to have a positive impact on our community and beyond.
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April 2013 D9700 Conference Leeton.
Monday 22nd. April Business and Board Meeting Club catering.
*Monday 6th. May Member’s Social Night Craig Corrigan on his life: “Nuts and Bolts”. Club Catering.
Saturday June 8th Coolamon Rotary Street Raffle. June 23-26 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon. RI Convention Lisbon.
*Monday July 1st our 42nd Change Over Night. *Partners and Guests Night.
More encouraging news for our fight against polio–the Scientific Declaration on Polio Eradication went live this morning! More than 400 scientists, doctors and technical experts from 80 countries signed the declaration, in a rousing show of support for the new polio endgame plan. Our very own Dr. John Sever is one of the signatories.
I encourage you to read the full declaration and the names of all signatories. http://bit.ly/10WLesN
The Perfect Man
A man walked out to the street and caught a taxi just going by. He got into the taxi, and the cabbie said, “Perfect timing. You’re just like Brian!
Passenger: “Who?”
Cabbie: “Brian Sullivan. He’s a guy who did everything right all the time. Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happen like that to Brian Sullivan, every single time.”
Passenger: “There are always a few clouds over everybody.”
Cabbie: “Not Brian Sullivan. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand Slam at tennis. He could golf with the pros. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano. He was an amazing guy.”
Passenger: “Sounds like he was something really special.”
Cabbie: “There’s more. He had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody’s birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. He could fix anything. Not like me. I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out. But Brian Sullivan, he could do everything right.”
Passenger: “Wow. Some guy then.”
Cabbie: “He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams. Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Brian, he never made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too. He was the perfect man! He never made a mistake. No one could ever measure up to Brian Sullivan.”
Passenger: “An amazing fellow. How did you meet him?”
Cabbie: “Well, I never actually met Brian. He died. I’m married to his bloody widow”.
ERIC VAN SOEST
Eight Again
A man asked his wife what she’d like for her birthday.
“I’d love to be eight again.” she replied.
On the morning of her birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Coco Pops, and then took her off to the local theme park.
What a day! He put her on every ride in the park: the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, every thing there was.
Five hours later she staggered out of the theme park. Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down.
Right away, they journeyed to a McDonald’s where her loving husband ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a refreshing chocolate shake.
Then it was off to the movies: the Lion King, a hot dog, popcorn, all the Coke she could drink, and her favorite M&M’s.
What a fabulous adventure!
Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted.
He leaned over his precious wife with a big smile and lovingly asked,
Well, Dear, what was it like being eight again?”
Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed.
“I meant my dress size you idiot!!!!!!!!
The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he’s gonna get it wrong
Two decades after the first Rotary club was chartered in Ukraine, the country’s youth have embraced Rotary in a big way.
Ukraine now has 24 Rotaract clubs — Rotary’s service clubs for people ages 18 to 30 — many of them focusing on the challenges facing the country today. In Kyiv, Rotaractors in the capital city’s four clubs collaborate often on service projects, including a campaign to draw attention to the plight of stray animals.
Members of the Rotaract Club of Kyiv Multinational take time to honor their elders (see gallery above): For nearly three years, they’ve been visiting a nursing home in Peremoha, about 40 miles away.
“These are the people who did their best for future generations, for us, to live in a free country,” says club treasurer and past president Taras Mytkalyk. “We wanted to fill their lives with a feeling of being needed.”
The Rotaract Club of Kyiv-Centre promotes health and wellness through an HIV awareness campaign, and has worked with Rotaract clubs in Russia, Belarus, Germany, and Romania to raise over US$13,000 to equip a medical center in a rural village in Ukraine.
Rotaract clubs are either community or university based and sponsored by a local Rotary club. World Rotaract Week, 11-17 March, commemorates the 1968 chartering of the first club, in North Carolina, USA.
During the week, Rotaract clubs are asked to partner with their sponsor Rotary clubs on a service project and to encourage a nearby Rotary club to sponsor a new Rotaract club in the area. Also, members of the Rotaract and sponsor clubs are encouraged to attend each other’s meetings.
CAUSES WORTH SUPPORTING
Our mission and vision
We want to help every less fortunate person in the world to have clean drinking water. More than one billion people lack this most basic commodity. Having safe drinking water helps to liberate people so they can live healthier, fuller, and more productive lives. 6,000 children die every day from water borne diseases. We want to help solve this problem and lessen the suffering.
We will help find International and Host Rotary Partners so they can do Water Projects in developing counties. Through our fundraising efforts we expect to support these Projects financially. It is our goal to make more people aware of this tremendous worldwide problem.
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
The Orphan Rescue Kit a Coolamon RC Project: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
Well this is the Clayton’s bulletin or the bulletin that you have when not having a bulletin! As I was not there and as I have not had a report on Max and Sue Chapman’s talk I can only supply you with photos of Max and Sue, in times gone by.
Max was one of our most active members and we have lost a very hard working Rotarian. Max has joined Wagga Wagga Sunrise and is doing some great work there.
So here are some photos of Max and Sue Chapman.
Sue Chapman pinning Max’s Paul Harris Fellow pin back in 2008.
Max hard at work at the clearance sale at Kiambo.
Max Chapman at the open garden days at Kiambo
Sue Chapman at here beautiful open garden days at Kiambo.
Monday 8th -Friday 13th April RYLA Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Alex Thompson is our club’s sponsored student this year at Camp Kurrajong, Oura Road, Wagga Wagga. RYLA web Site.
Thursday April 11th Rotary Bingo: Rostered on are: Leslie Weston, Paul Weston, Ian Jennings, Garth Perkin
***New Event: Friday April 12th TRIVIA NIGHT in aid of the Ganmain/ Coolamon Hospital Auxiliary. Coolamon Sport and Recreation Club 7.00pm. $10/head, best bet make up a table, contact Maree Jennings on 6927 3074 for further details.
*Monday 15th April Maria and Ray Foley Guest Speakers “On the Road Again”.
Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April 2013 D9700 Conference Leeton.
Monday 22nd. April Business and Board Meeting Club catering.
*Monday 29th. April member’s Social Night Craig Corrigan on his life: “Nuts and Bolts”. Club Catering.
Saturday June 8th Coolamon Rotary Street Raffle. June 23-26 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon. RI Convention Lisbon.
*Monday July 1st our 42nd Change Over Night. *Partners and Guests Night.
It was a real treat for me to see the cherry blossoms bloom during my visit to Washington D.C. Surrounded by those beautiful trees, I felt as if I was back home in Japan. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to District 7620 Past Governor Tom Kwako for taking me to this beautiful site.
ワシントンD.C.は桜が満開でした。思いがけずアメリカで花見を楽しむことができました。
In a hurried announcement this morning The Australian Defence Force released details of their latest clean energy developments in an alarming report stating that a new breed of autonomous solar powered wombat soldier will be deployed for domestic and overseas combat situations.
In a joint effort between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) called the Autonomous Wombat Research Department (AWRD) there are firm plans in place to deploy these genetically modified autonomous crime ‘regulating’ wombats onto the streets of Australia for an initial trial period before ‘rolling out’ the wombats to the rest of the world.
Three Wishes
A woman was out golfing one day when she hit her ball into the woods. She went into the woods to look for it and found a frog in a trap. The frog said to her, “If you release me from this trap, I will grant you 3 wishes.” The woman freed the frog and the frog said, “Thank you, but I failed to mention that there was a condition to your wishes—that whatever you wish for, your husband will get 10 times more or better?”
The woman said, “That would be o.k.,” and for her first wish, she wanted to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The frog warned her, “You do realize that this wish will also make your husband the most handsome man in the world, an Adonis, that women will flock to.” The woman replied, “That will be o.k. because I will be the most beautiful woman and he will only have eyes for me.”
So, KAZAM, she’s the most beautiful woman in the world. For her second wish, she wanted to be the richest woman in the world. The frog said, “That will make your husband the richest man in the world and he will be ten times richer than you.” The woman said, “That will be o.k. because what is mine is his and what is his is mine.” So, KAZAM, she’s the richest woman in the world! The frog then inquired about her third wish, and she answered,
“I’d like a MILD heart attack.”
ERIC VAN SOEST
The Eggs
A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband came into the kitchen.
“Careful,” he said, “CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD! You’re cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW!
We need more butter. Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They’re going 2 STICK! Careful.. CAREFUL!
I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you’re cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don’t forget to salt them.
You know you always forget that. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!” The wife stared at him. “What is wrong with you? You think I don’t know how to fry a couple of eggs?”
The husband calmly replied, “I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I’m driving.”
ERIC VAN SOEST.
Help us create a polio-free future for every child, everywhere. There’s less than 1% to go. This is our chance to do something truly good for all the world’s children – and, in the process, we can prove just what is possible when humanity works together. The heroes in the fight to end polio
: 
Seeing as we missed Max and Sue’s talk on Europe on a shoe string here is one place on the bucket list:
VENICE.
Rotary Club of Venezia Mestre Torre
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Shimba and Lempaute at Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s elephant orphanage.
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
The Orphan Rescue Kit a Coolamon RC Project: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
A great day all round thanks to all the volunteers from Rotary their partners and others.
Photos below thanks to Paul Weston and Ian Durham.
Click on the images to enlarge the photos.
President’s report
No Rotary meeting this week, but that doesn’t mean the Rotary wheel hasn’t stopped rolling. This past weekend saw a great community turnout for our markets and Grand Designs, Coolamon Style. The exact number of visitors is unknown, but it’s clear that in excess of two thousand people were on hand to cruise the markets, visit the houses featured in Grand Designs and admire the amazing hot rods on display in the main street. The stall holders offering freshly prepared food at the markets sold out, and the other stall holders had an equally successful day. The many hundreds of visitors to the shire saw the best that Coolamon has to offer. We raised approximately $5000 for the Men’s Shed from Grand Designs, and added over $1000 to our own coffers from the raffle. All in all, it was a great success.
Next Monday’s meeting should be of interest to all the travellers in the club, which number quite a few. Former Coolamon Rotarian Max Chapman will be making a presentation entitled “Europe on a Shoestring”. It should be an interesting talk, so please plant to come, and bring your partner. Hope to see you there!
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
*Monday 8th April Max Chapman Europe on a Shoe String. Gilbert Catering.
Monday 8th -Friday 13th April RYLA Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Alex Thompson is our club’s sponsored student this year at Camp Kurrajong, Oura Road, Wagga Wagga. RYLA web Site.
Thursday April 11th Rotary Bingo: Rostered on are: Leslie Weston, Paul Weston, Ian Jennings, Garth Perkin
***New Event: Friday April 12th TRIVIA NIGHT in aid of the Ganmain/ Coolamon Hospital Auxiliary. Coolamon Sport and Recreation Club 7.00pm. $10/head, best bet make up a table, contact Maree Jennings on 6927 3074 for further details.
*Monday 15th April Maria and Ray Foley Guest Speakers “On the Road Again”.
Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April 2013 D9700 Conference Leeton.
Monday 22nd. April Business and Board Meeting Club catering.
*Monday 29th. April member’s Social Night Craig Corrigan on his life: “Nuts and Bolts”. Club Catering.
Saturday June 8th Coolamon Rotary Street Raffle.
June 23-26 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon. RI Convention Lisbon.
*Monday July 1st our 42nd Change Over Night.
*Partners and Guests Night.
I enjoyed celebrating Holi, or a festival of colours, at the Rotary Club of Delhi Ashoka, in India.
Drop bears are less likely to attack people with Australian accents, according to experts at the University of Tasmania.
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/drop-bears-prefer-travellers-says-study.htm
DROP BEARS TARGET PEOPLE with foreign accents more often than those who are Australian-born, according to new research.
The study, conducted in a drop-bear hot-spot in New South Wales, aimed to gather data around the behaviour and ecology of the elusive species.
There has been relatively little scientific research into the drop bear (Thylarctos plummetus), which the Australian Museum describes as a “large, arboreal, predatory marsupial related to the koala.” Populations are thought mainly to exist in forested coastal regions of eastern and southern Australia, stretching from the Cape York Peninsula to Tasmania
10 pints of Guinness
A Texan walks into a pub in Ireland and clears his voice to the crowd of drinkers. He says, “I hear you Irish are a bunch of hard drinkers. I’ll give $500 American dollars to anybody in here who can drink 10 pints of Guinness back-to-back.”
The room is quiet, and no one takes up the Texan’s offer. One man even leaves.
Thirty minutes later the same gentleman who left shows back up and taps the Texan on the shoulder. “Is your bet still good?” asks the Irishman.
The Texan says yes and asks the bartender to line up 10 pints of Guinness. Immediately the Irishman tears into all 10 of the pint glasses, drinking them all back-to-back.
The other pub patrons cheer as the Texan sits in amazement. The Texan gives the Irishman the $500 and says, “If ya don’t mind me asking’, where did you go for that 30 minutes you were gone?”
The Irishman replies, “Oh… I had to go to the pub down the street to see if I could do it first.”
A Push
A man and his wife are awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. The man gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger stands in the pouring down rain.
“Can you give me a push?” he asks while hanging onto the door frame.
“Not a chance” says the husband — “It’s 3 o’clock in the morning!”. He slams the door and returns to bed.
“Who was it?” asks his wife.
“Just some drunk wanting a push” he answers.
“Did you help him?” she asks.
“No, I didn’t — it’s three in the morning and raining like crazy out.”
“Well, you have a short memory” says his wife. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down on vacation and those two strangers helped us? I think you should help him.”
The man does as he is told and gets dressed and goes out into the pounding rain and calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?”
“Yes,” comes the answer.
“Do you still want a push?” calls out the husband.
“Yes, please!” comes the reply from the dark.
“Where are you?” asks the husband.
“Over here on the swing!” the drunk replies.
This week we look at the wonderful work being done by our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay Rotary in Cape Town.
Beautiful Hout Bay
Some photos below of the hospitably and fellowship that we had the pleasure of receiving form all the members of Hout Bay.
Also some of the amazing work that they do for those not so fortunate who live in the township of Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay.
Our next visit will be in May 2015 please come join us for the time of your life. These South Africans know how to party.
Some of their work:
Here is the latest Bay Breezes and see how this club works. I know that PP Patrick McLaughlin reads our bulletin and I am sure that all the members from Coolamon wish Patrick a speedy recovery.
HOLI FESTIVAL INDIA
HINDUS celebrated the festival of Holi this week by painting each other in bright colours, distributing sweets and squirting water at one another. The holiday celebrated mainly in India and Nepal marks the beginning of spring. Bonfires are set on the eve of Holi, and the next day Hindus throw coloured dry powder and water in celebration.
The Ashley Kaimowitz Memorial Fund was established by the Rotary Club of Hout Bay in support of the Nonceba Centre in Cape Town, a welfare project for sexually abused and raped children. Past President Don Peters of Rotary Hout Bay, who was awarded a Sapphire Award for his sterling efforts to Rotary over the years, coordinates the contributions of the four Rotary clubs that support the fund: RC Sea Point, RC Claremont, RC Kirstenbosch and RC Kromboom.
The heart of the matter
This is a story of a young lady from a privileged background who joined Rotary’s programme Interact while at school in Cape Town. Ashley was a compassionate, loving and wise young woman and she recognized the horrific problems facing society. In her own words, “I have learnt that even though there are horrors facing our world there is good buried within it, evident in those willing to reach out a hand and a heart to help. I firmly believe that the life of one person, if helped, can change the course of the world, as you never know who that one little girl or boy could be or could achieve.”
Ashley began her journey in the township of Khayelitsha close to Cape Town helping children who had been sexually assaulted, raped, abused or were victims of family violence. Ashley was so overwhelmed emotionally that she knew that her purpose on this earth was nothing less than to change it.
A dream commences
At sixteen years old Ashley became totally involved in the Nonceba Family Counselling Centre. She made a video film of the centre and she turned out to be a first class fundraiser. In 2004, Ashley was accepted for a Rotary Exchange tour to Japan and whilst there continued to promote the cause of abused children by showing her film. She then returned and continued her work in Khayelitsha.
In March 2005, Ashley was tragically killed by a drunk driver ending a life filled with promise. In a tribute to her, a Rotarian wrote, “Everybody, from adults to children, all religions and cultures, working across all divides, learned much from Ashley. We learnt about humility, determination and cheerfulness when faced with overwhelming and challenging circumstances.”
To support Hout Bay Rotary and the Nonceba Project please contact me directly: [email protected]
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
The Orphan Rescue Kit a Coolamon RC Project: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
REMINDER that Easter Saturday is next Saturday and we need volunteers for the markets.
Monday night we had our monthly member’s night and tonight our Treasurer Henk Hulsman and PP gave a story on his life. President Paul welcomed all our guests which included, Bernadette Milne, Maureen Hulsman, Marilyn Jennings, Christine Lorraine, Ted Hutcheon, Susan Glassford and we welcomed back Ray and Maria Foley. There were 13 members present tonight as well.
Grahame Miles reported on the upcoming Saturday Easter Markets and the Grand Design Tour in Coolamon asking for volunteers for the day. Dick Jennings promoted the Coolamon and Ganmain Trivia night and we look like being able to book one table from our members and partners.
Ian Jennings and John Glassford reported on last week’s RYDA {Rotary Youth Driver Awareness programme in Wagga Wagga.} See story at the end of this bulletin.
HENK HULSMAN
The night belonged to Henk or Harmen Hulsman a long time member of our Rotary Club. Henk is a 1st generation Australian born in Narrandera at the end of WW2. Henk is Dutch by origin and his father and mother spent many years in the Dutch East Indies as rubber plantation managers. Henk’s parents met and married in the islands and Henk has 2 sisters and a brother. The Japanese invasion of Borneo saw Henk’s parents interred in a concentration camp where they were separated and badly treated by the Japanese.
After the war the Hulsmans moved to Australia and lived in Ganmain for a short period and made great friends with the Guthries. They returned to Bali after Indonesia achieved independence. and left Indonesia for Australia for good in 1950. Henk became an accountant and worked for the CBC or Commercial Bank in New South Wales and saw much of the country. Henk married Maureen and they have two children. Henk ended up in Coolamon as the branch manager for CBC and when CBC got taken over by the NAB he started managing the Sydney Credit Union in Wagga Wagga, as a financial advisor and never looked back.
Henk has since retired and is involved in the Coolamon Men’s Shed and Rotary where he has been a member since 1981, has been President and is currently our treasurer. Henk was recently awarded a Paul Harris Fellow; richly deserved. One of the characters of our club with a wicked sense of humour, thanks Henk for your life story. Enjoy your bowls old mate!
President’s report
Things are picking up in Rotary World. This weekend promises to be a ripper, with the markets at the Up To Date Store, Grand Designs Coolamon Style, and a hundred hot rods in the streets of Coolamon on Easter Saturday. Between the great weather tipped for the day and the large number of visitors to town for the holiday weekend, it could be a blockbuster. If you haven’t already been rostered on to sell raffle tickets for the day, please contact Grahame ([email protected]) ASAP to sign up for a spot.
Thanks to Ian Jennings and John Glassford who assisted with RYDA in Wagga last week, and to Wayne Lewis who joined me in stuffing flyers for the markets and Grand Designs in newspapers at the newsagency very early on Saturday morning!
We had another great rollup for our Monday meeting, which featured another episode in our continuing saga of member life stories after a great roast lamb dinner prepared by Andrew. Henk Hulsman described his life story, which has had a number of interesting twists and turns, especially in his early years as his parents shifted from Ganmain to Bali (this was after his parents had made and lost a fortune in Indonesia). Henk’s life was a bit more tame than that of his parents, but was interesting nonetheless and involved several moves in southeastern Australia as Henk’s employment the banking industry required him to relocate frequently. It really is amazing how many surprising aspects there are to the lives of our members. Next month’s member meeting (29 April) will feature Craig Corrigan, so be sure to note the date in your diary.
Activities of interest abound in April. April 12 will be Trivia Night at the Coolamon Sport and Rec Club. We have nearly enough people to sponsor a table of 8, and at $10 pp you can’t go wrong. If interested in rounding out a table or starting another, please contact me ([email protected]) and we’ll add you to the list. Later in the month (April 19-21) is the District Convention in Leeton. Registration is done through the district convention website. Discussion is taking place for a joint social event with the Lions, so stay tuned as details are finalised.
Have a great Easter, and I hope to see you in town for all the events on Easter Saturday. Because of the public holiday, there will be no Rotary meeting on Monday next (April 1), so our next meeting will be on 8 April (featuring an interesting talk by Max Chapman entitled “Europe on a Shoestring”). See you there!
Yours in Rotary,
Paul
Saturday 30th March Rotary Community Easter Markets in the Up-to-Date-Store, complemented by ‘Grand Designs Coolamon Style’ & a main street full of 100 or so Hot Rod Cars.
Monday April 1st NO Meeting Easter Monday.
*Monday 8th April Sue and Max Chapman Europe on a Shoe String. Gilbert catering.
Monday 8th -Friday 13th April RYLA Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. Alex Thompson is our club’s sponsored student this year at Camp Kurrajong, Oura Road, Wagga Wagga. RYLA web Site.
Thursday April 11th Rotary Bingo: Rostered on are: Leslie Weston, Paul Weston, Ian Jennings, Garth Perkin
***New Event: Friday April 12th TRIVIA NIGHT in aid of the Ganmain/ Coolamon Hospital Auxiliary. Coolamon Sport and Recreation Club 7.00pm. $10/head, best bet make up a table, contact Maree Jennings on 6927 3074 for further details.
Monday 15th April Business and Board Meeting Club catering
Friday 19th to Sunday 21st April 2013 D9700 Conference Leeton.
Monday April 29th Members Night Craig Corrigan. Club catering.
Saturday June 8th Coolamon Rotary Street Raffle.
June 23-26 2013 Rotary International Convention in Lisbon. RI Convention Lisbon.
*Monday July 1st our 42nd Change Over Night.
*Partners and Guests Night.
While visiting District 2490 in Israel RI Director Gideon Peiper and I toured the facilities of the Israeli-based Save a Child’s Heart, an international humanitarian project which provides care to children from developing countries who suffer from heart disease. I want to thank District Governor Moshe Edelman and Past District Governor Yoram Cohen for their assistance during my visit, and all the Rotarians and other volunteers who support this lifesaving project.
イスラエル訪問中、心臓疾患のある発展途上国の子供たちを治療している病院を訪れました。ロータリアンをはじめボランティアの方々が病気と闘う子供たちを励まし、支援しています。素晴らしいプロジェクトです。
Bad Day
There I was, sitting at the bar, staring at my drink, when a really big, trouble-making biker steps up next to me, grabs my drink, and gulps it down in one swig.
“Well, whatcha gonna do about it?” he says menacingly, as I burst into tears.
“Come on, man,” the biker says, “I didn’t think you’d CRY. I can’t stand to see a man crying.”
“This is the worst day of my life,” I said. “I’m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen and I don’t have any insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the gardener, and then my dog bit me, so I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all. I buy a drink, drop the capsule in it, and was sitting here watching the poison dissolve when you show up and drink the whole thing!! But enough about me, how’s your day going?”
ERIC VAN SOEST
Compo
A farmer who’s been involved in a terrible road accident with a large truck ended up in court fighting for a big compensation claim. “I understand you’re claiming damages for the injuries you’re supposed to have suffered? ” Stated the counsel for the insurance company. “Yes, that’s right,” replied the farmer, nodding his head. “You claim you were injured in the accident, yet I have a signed police statement that says that when the attending police officer asked you how you were feeling, you replied, ‘I’ve never felt better inn my life.’ Is that the case? “Yeah, but ” stammered the farmer. “A simple yes or not will suffice,” counsel interrupted quickly. “Yes,” Replied the farmer.
Then it was the turn of the farmer’s counsel to ask him questions. “Please tell the court the exact circumstance of events following the accident when you made your statement of health,” his lawyer said. “Certainly,” replied the farmer. “After the accident my horse was thrashing around with a broken leg and my poor old dog was howling in pain. This cop comes along, takes one look at my horse and shoots him dead. “Then he goes over to my dog, looks at him and shoots him dead too. Then he come straight over to me and asked me how I was feeling. “Now, mate, what the heck would you have said to him? ”
One of the best youth projects by Rotary is the RYDA week or Rotary Youth Driver Awareness programme held every year for one week in Wagga Wagga. Year 11 students attend and it is a huge success. Coolamon Rotary was rostered on for last Friday 22nd March and Ian Jennings and John Glassford volunteered. Here are some photos from the day.
PORTUGAL 2013 LISBON RI CONVENTION
While you are in Portugal go visit The Initiation Well in Sintra,
The Spíritree offers a poetic life-from-death metaphor as a celebration of the loved one’s memory, transforming the funeral rite from one of sadness into one of hope, all while promoting environmental restoration and awareness.
Read the full story here on this amazing Men’s Shed in Perth sponsored by the RC of Mosman Park in Pearth.
Thanks to Di Collins from the RC of Freshwater Bay in Perth for this story.
Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka
Governor of District 9700 Greg Brown
Coolamon Club President Paul Weston
Coolamon Club Secretary John Glassford
Club Treasurer Henk Hulsman
Coolamon Rotary Club Inc. P.O. Box 23 COOLAMON N.S.W. 2701
Websites of Interest
Coolamon Rotary Club: http://coolamonrotary.com
Road MAPS to Africa a Coolamon Rotary Project: http://www.mountainsofthemoon.org/
Rotary Down Under on line: http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/26587/49598/pub
The Orphan Rescue Kit a Coolamon RC Project: http://theork.com/
Our Rotary Centennial Twin Club Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: http://www.rotaryhoutbay.org
Don’t forget to regularly check our club web site for current information such as bingo rosters and various newsletters from the District Governor, the School of St. Jude’s, the monthly membership on the move newsletter as well as several other club bulletins.
This request and video comes from a great friend Megan MacDonald a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar who studied in Kenya. Megan is also very much involved in Sasa Designs by the deaf ladies of Nairobi truly a wonderful example of what Rotary Scholarships can start with a very talented and lovely lady, Megan, whom I met at the Rotary International Convention in LA in 2008.
Hello friends, family and Rotary family! Thank you for taking a moment to consider this request for support sending my dear friend Maggie to University starting this year. Some of you will remember “meeting” Maggie via my blog (see here and here) – others know what a close part of my life here in Kenya she has become. Almost no one knows her whole story – and because her dream to go to university is THAT BIG, she and I want to share it with you.
See the full story here and in the video below: